International Parental Child Abduction Legal and Support Services – 2018-2021

Overview

Australia is a signatory to the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (the Convention). The Convention is an international agreement which seeks to protect children from the harmful effects of abduction and retention across international borders. The Convention provides a mechanism to seek about the prompt return of children to their country of habitual residence so that authorities of that country can make decisions about their future parenting arrangements.  The Convention also aims to assist parents to secure rights of access to children.   Australia is also a party to bilateral agreements on international parental child abduction with Egypt and Lebanon. These are known as the Australia-Egypt Agreement and the Australia-Lebanon Agreement (the Bilateral Agreements). IFLS is responsible for assessing applications made in relation to children in Egypt or Lebanon under those Bilateral Agreements.     The purpose of the grant is for an eligible organisation to deliver and manage a national service (funded grant activity) that provides: legal assistance to left-behind parents, or caregivers who hold rights of custody or access, in Australia to prepare and lodge applications for the return of children from, or access to children in, a Convention country (other than Australia) or for assistance under the Bilateral Agreements in relation to a child located outside of Australia social work support, including information, referral and counselling, to people affected by international parental child abduction, whether involving a Convention country or not.